by Ren, age 8, asks Hoteiosho do you bring presents on New Year’s Day or Christmas?, about Kyoto’s mountains, and why Kyoto was once Japan’s capital
Dear Hoteiosho,
My name is Ren and I am 8 years old. I live in Kyoto, Japan, where the old wooden temples get dusted with snow in December and my family visits one every New Year to ring in good luck.
First, do you bring presents on New Year’s Day or Christmas?
Second, a geography question: what mountains surround Kyoto?
Third, a school question about my country: why was Kyoto once the capital of Japan for so many centuries?
I left you a slice of Christmas cake and hot tea.
Love, Ren, age 8, Kyoto, Japan, Kyoto, Japan
From the Desk of Hoteiosho
Dear Ren, thank you for the treat, it was wonderful. Now, your questions.
Do you bring presents on New Year’s Day or Christmas?
My deepest traditional ties are to the New Year season, a very important time in Japan, though I have also become associated with Christmas gift-giving in more recent decades.
What mountains surround Kyoto?
Kyoto sits in a valley ringed by low, forested mountains on three sides, which is part of why the city stayed cool and sheltered enough to serve as Japan’s capital for over a thousand years, and it makes for a beautifully quiet, misty approach by sleigh.
Why was Kyoto once the capital of Japan for so many centuries?
Kyoto served as Japan’s imperial capital from the year 794 until 1869, chosen originally for its favorable location and protective surrounding mountains. Over that long stretch of history it became home to countless temples, shrines, and palaces, and it remains one of the most culturally important cities in the entire country.
Yoi otoshi wo, Ren.
Ho ho ho, Hoteiosho
